Dentist recommendation

My children and I have been going to see Doctor Margaret Anderson at her dental office for the last three years. The atmosphere of her office as well as the demeanor of her staff are a nice complement to the warm and welcoming personality of the doctor herself.

My children skip happily in to their appointments, and I no longer dread a trip to the dentist. In fact, the thought of it no longer creates any stress in my life!

If you are in the market for a dentist, check out Doctor Anderson's website:

http://www.docmaggie.com/meetdoc.htm

How important is organic?

When I go shopping, I make sure to buy only organic produce if I am going to eat the skin. It is a good investment, in my opinion, to not ingest the poisons used in conventional farming. For produce in which I will not be eating the skin (e.g. bananas, winter squash, pineapple, etc), I only buy organic if the price difference in minimal.

As for processed food labeled organic, I am not convinced that it makes that much of a difference. Again, if the price difference is minimal, I will buy the organic product. That being said, processed food is not good for you body and should be consumed in small portions, if at all.

As for meat and other animal products, I always buy hormone free. As much as possible, I buy organic. Better treatment of the animals and strict processing rules must be followed to carry an organic label. While this may be true of some conventional products as well, there is no way to tell.

Please find following, an excerpt from the Mayo Clinic website:

The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct more sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

A few words about sugar

As we are now officially into the Holiday season, let's talk sugar. While it is delicious and not a health hazard when eaten in moderation, too much sugar can greatly impact your body.

Sugar is best consumed with some fat and protein to reduce and/or eliminate the sugar crash that we have all experienced. Fat and protein help slow digestion and mitigate the fatigue that can result from eating too much sugar.

Keep in mind that straight sugar is the hardest on your body. It is like putting jet fuel into a car. Your body will feel great for a short time and then you will crash. This includes agave nectar, syrup of any kind, honey, all table sugars, any kind of juice, and jams and jellies.

Fruit, while mostly sugar, also has fiber and vital nutrients for your body, and is, therefore, superior to other forms of sugar. The fiber will help stabilize blood sugar to a degree, but fruit is best when eaten with some fat and protein as well.

Here is the vicious cycle of sugar consumption:

• our blood is overloaded with sugar
• The pancreas secretes insulin.
• The cells become stuffed with fat and sugar.
• Your blood gets overloaded again.
• The pancreas tries to keep up and produce more insulin.
• The cells are not responding correctly to the insulin because they are already overloaded.
• The pancreas tries to produce more insulin to get the cells to respond.
• The glucose (sugar) can't get into the cell because of its increased insulin resistance because of the extra fat.
• You feel hungry because the glucose isn't getting into the cell so you eat more.
• The pancreas tries to produce more insulin to handle the new pile of sugar.
• Eventually you gain excess weight, increase your insulin resistance even more, eat more because you are still 'hungry' which drives your weight higher.

Other effects of too much sugar:

1. Lowers immunity

2. Disrupts the balances of essential nutrients and minerals

3. Can cause headaches, fatigue, irritability and mild depression

Please e-mail me with any questions or comment: tetfitness@yahoo.com

Massage therapist recommendation

If you are anything like me, it's been too long since your last massage. The cost in time and money are usually just too much.

Sonya King is a local massage therapist who charges a flat $50 per hour or $65 for 90 minutes (she does not accept tips).

She has been doing massage for over a decade and, while she has a great massage room, is also happy to travel to you (depending on your location).

Sonya specializes in a therapeutic blend of soothing Swedish massage, hot Serpentine stones, passive stretching and localized deep tissue work, depending on the client and his/her needs.

Please contact Sonya for more details at 503-936-3114 or sonyakingpdx@msn.com

Stretching

There are three major components to physical fitness

1. Muscle conditioning

2. Cardiovascular conditioning

3. Stretching

If you are like most people, the first two are hard enough to fit in, and stretching just never makes it into your normal routine.

Next time you work out, pay attention to your body and to which muscles are tight. Take the time to stretch those muscles.

Remember to hold a stretch for at least 15 seconds. 30-60 seconds is even better. Your muscle will initially contract against the stretch to protect itself from being pulled. It takes a few seconds before it relaxes enough to stretch.

Finally, relax your mind as you stretch. It can be a nice 5-minute break from the stress of your day!

Give yourself a break!

Negative thoughts are counterproductive in the gym. If you get in the habit of self-loathing behavior while you work out, you have subconsciously created a negative connection to exercise. It's only natural to begin avoiding situations that create such feelings.

See yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you. What might they say to you as they pat you on the back for making time to exercise and sticking with it? Would they beat you over the head if you fall of the wagon for a while, or encourage you to get right back on again?

Each day you wake up is another opportunity to challenge your body and your mind, and that's a blessing!

To drug, or not to drug?

I just watched a Dateline special from a few years ago called: The Medicated Child. You can watch it online at www.pbs.org: The Medicated Child. Or, if you have Netflix, it is in the television section.

Parents do the best they can for their children, and in some cases, medication may be the best answer. Whatever side you are on, this special is amazing and has people speaking both for and against medicating children. It's worth checking out!

Our son has some challenges that we've been able to address with dietary changes: No preservatives or additives, no food coloring, no gluten, no dairy or meat with hormones, and very limited processed food (what he does consume is organic and does not contain any of the above mentioned ingredients). It may sound overwhelming, but by taking these things out of his diet, he is able to focus at school and function normally.

As we experimented with taking things out of his diet, my husband and I noticed that we were feeling much better as well. What a nice bonus!